Neven tries wine with a 'depth' of flavour

The next instalment of Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails has a wine theme as the Blacklion chef visits the Alentejo region.

Neven’s first stop in Wednesday's show on RTÉ One is the Ervideira Winery which has a very unusual way of producing wine. When it has been bottled, the wine is stored and aged deep underwater in the Alqueva Lake which is the largest artificial lake in the European Union.

Neven meets the current Director Duarte Leal da Costa and his son Duarte Maria Alvarenga as they retrieve their ‘Water Wine’ from the bottom of the lake. The lake is 25–30 metres deep and the pressure at this depth causes the wine to age more slowly. Crates of 300 bottles of wine are pulled from the lake floor using a tractor. Back at the winery, Neven is treated to a tasting of the Ervideira Winery’s signature wines, comparing the ‘Water Wine’ with wine that has been aged in the traditional way.

Neven then travels to Évora, the capital of the Alentejo region. Évora is a lively university city and historic sights include a Roman temple. At the highly regarded Fialho restaurant Helena Fialho, a third-generation family member shows Neven a traditional Alentejo recipe: Pork with Clams and White Wine in a Bell Pepper Sauce.

One of the most important aspects of wine production is the cork in the bottle.

The Alentejo region is famous for its cork trees and produces more than half of the world’s cork. Neven meets Iain Richardson whose family have been producing cork in Alentejo for 200 years, and discovers how cork is grown and harvested, and how sheep play a vital role.

Iain’s family are also one of the oldest winemaking families in Alentejo and their vineyard dates back to the 1880s. They still use the traditional methods of handpicking and foot-treading grapes.

Neven’s final visit this week is to Joana Garcia, an artisan cheesemaker. Joana trained and practised as a lawyer but gave it up to establish Monte Da Vinha, an organic sheep’s milk cheese company. Joana’s cheese has only three ingredients - sheep’s milk, salt and a special rennet made from ‘thistle tea’. Neven has a cheese and wine tasting and particularly enjoys the typical Alentejan cheese which is aged for 6 – 9 months and has a spicy taste which comes from the thistles.

Neven’s own recipe this week is a Portuguese style Chicken Piri Piri Tray Bake with Sweet Potato and Vegetables.

Episode three of Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails airs on Wednesday September 21 on RTÉ ONE at 8.30pm.